With those last, chilling words, Mary Helen’s image wavered and dissipated in the flames, leaving only the kindly fire.
Rachel wished she could forget that night when they called up the spirit of Mary Helen, but she couldn’t, and she still felt a little guilty. She would have loved for the Sunart witches to get their power back; it was rightfully due to the coven. The only problem was that she really didn’t want to be heroic, or anyone’s sacrifice. She had planned on living, so she ran, and had been running ever since, and she planned to keep on running until the prescribed time for the ritual was past and either the opportunity to perform it was lost or another, more willing, sacrifice was chosen.
Chapter Three
“Shit!” Rachel says, frustrated. “I knew we shouldn’t have asked the vampire for a place.”
She looked out the window and walked back to where her aunts were sitting. This should not be happening, and she wished she didn’t have to hide from her coven. They were all supposed to be sisters, but now she and her aunts must consider them enemies.
“I’ve blocked the vampire, he can’t get near the door nor can he even smell us. We’ve been five days wandering around here in Chicago we needed some place,” her aunt Maxine said, her eyes flashing dark fire, “but he looked uncontrollable, so until we can figure out what’s the matter with him, you’ll have to stay here, at least until we can relocate you.”
“I’m always running, it feels like it will never end, I’m sick of this.” She was angry that her life had been flipped upside down for the last few months. Moving from place to place, never feeling safe, was taking a toll on Rachel.
“Well, all we need to do is keep you safe for about three more months,” her aunt Paula said, tossing her long, soft gray hair back over her shoulders. She was the younger of the two sisters, and her face still retained her youthful beauty. “Then the time for the ritual will be past, and it’ll be another few hundred years before this comes up again.”
Rachel rolled her eyes and plopped down on the sofa, allowing her mind to go back to the vampire who came to the door. Her aunts hadn’t wasted any time spelling the place when they felt him near. She hadn’t been able to help when he was at the door, but she had used her hand-held mirror, which she had spelled to see others behind walls.
He was tall with olive skin, dark brown hair a little messy, his body well-built, dark blue eyes, strong facial features - all in all, extremely sexy to her. She knew he was the one who owned this place, but was unsure why he had come to see them. They had paid in advance and requested that their privacy be respected, yet on their first night the vampire was at their door carrying on like a crazy maniac. He looked almost as if he was searching for something, but they didn’t have anything he could possibly want.
She was brought back to the present by her aunts calling her name.
“Rachel Lynn, what are you thinking about?” Maxine asked.
“Nothing, Auntie. So, have you decided what the next move is?” Both her aunts were staring at her strangely, but she avoided their eyes, hoping they would move on.
“This place is no longer safe,” Paula replied. “The vampire is coming back, and if he comes with a witch, she may alert the other covens.”
“You spelled this place, so we can stay here for a little while, at least.” She didn’t want to leave again. She was so tired, so desperately tired of always being on the move.
“We are trying to keep you safe,” Maxine said. “If the coven locates you they will come, and our powers will not stand against so many. I’ll start searching tonight for a new place.” She walked out of the room.
Rachel knew her aunts’ lives were in danger as well, for helping her. They had been taking care of her ever since her mother had been killed in a car accident some years ago, and she knew they would never allow any harm to come to her. She had been only five years old when she lost her mother, and her father had walked away from her even before she was born. Even though she was very young when her mother died, her memories of her mom had not faded. Once her aunts took her in after the funeral, there were times she wished her father would come and take her away from all the witches’ rules, but after a while she realized he would never come. Now, the only family she had was Maxine and Paula. They had brought her up, and always told her she was special. She had turned twenty-five shortly before all hell broke out about her being the sacrifice for the ancestors.
Her life was uneasy now. She never went out, and she could not remember when she last had a moment to be alone. She had gone from living on her own, driving, and even dating, to this narrow, circumscribed life on the run. Her old life hadn’t been the most glamourous life, but it had been hers. She hadn’t had anyone she would have called a best friend, or even a girlfriend to hang out with. The girls in the coven didn’t like her because she was stronger in magic than they were. She had no cousins to take the place of siblings, as neither of her aunts had children, so as a child she had made books her friends. As an adult, her situation had not improved; her sex life had been barely noticeable. Nevertheless, she had left behind a man she had expected to spend her life with; even though she was not in love with him, he had offered her the chance to make a family, and that was all she had ever wanted, but that hoped-for joy had been ripped away.
“I’m going to go to sleep,” she said. “I’ll be ready to leave whenever you are.”
She walked into her room and climbed into bed. As she fell asleep, her one thought was that she wished her life were different.
She opened her eyes to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking. It was evening, but they often had breakfast for dinner Over the last few months, food in general had been on the go, and the categories soon became blurred. No one had taken the time to make proper meals, and the smell of frying bacon was like the smell of home. She looked at her watch, realizing she’d slept the day away. So, without delaying, she hurried to the kitchen.
“Good evening! Did I miss something?” She snitched a piece of bacon.
“We’ve decided to stay in Chicago,” said Maxine, not looking at her. “We know it’s been hard on you. We’ve cloaked you, so that hopefully you will not be found until after the last day the coven can do the ritual.”
“What are we going to do about the vampire?” Witches usually stayed away from vampires, because it was a vampire’s nature to kill, as they were predators. So, the general feeling was ‘better safe than sorry.’
“We have secured another place,” Paula replied. “We’ll leave right after dinner.”
“That’s fine with me,” Rachel said.
“Eat your breakfast,” Maxine said.
While they ate, they discussed their new place, and what would be the best way to leave. Her aunts didn’t know why the vampire had shown up last night, but saw no sense in taking chances.
After eating, she packed her things and walked out to the living area, where her aunts were waiting.
“Okay, Rachel,” Paula smiled. “This should be the last move, soon we should be able to go home.”
“I do hope so. I need to get back to living my own life, and being an adult.”
“Well, excuse us for trying to keep you safe,” Maxine snapped.
Just as she was about to respond, there was a banging at the door. Even without looking through her mirror, she knew it was the vampire. Her aunts looked at her with wide eyes. They knew the place had been spelled and no one could enter, but it still didn’t sit well when a vampire was outside the door banging.
“I own this property, open the door.” Footsteps echoed harshly from behind the door, loud in the stillness. He seemed to be pacing back and forth.
Her aunts walked quietly over to her, and with a few whispered words, they decided to use magic to leave. Quickly they all grabbed their bags and drew a circle, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she decided to leave her little mirror behind on the table; using it and its twin, she would still be able to see the room after she had left. When her aunt sta
rted the chant that would transport them away from the condo, she glanced at the mirror, and there he was. The vampire was breathing hard; she could see the rise and fall of his chest, and his expression looked to her as if he were in great need. She wondered why he was so desperate to get to them, but was not foolish enough to stick around to find out.
Before long she was standing in an empty house. The room she was in was beautiful, with high ceilings and tall windows. She nodded her approval to her aunts.
“Thank you both for being here for me and keeping me safe,” she said. “One day I’ll be able to pay you back.”
“Well, just give me cash,” says Maxine. “Paula would like something sentimental.”
As they laughed, it occurred to her that it was the first time they had relaxed since they left their home.
They dragged their luggage to the empty bedrooms. Even the slightest sound echoed loudly in the empty house. Furniture was an urgent necessity.
Paula slid down the empty hall in her stocking feet, skidding to a halt on the polished boards in front of Maxine. “Max, we need to get groceries, and beds, and a sofa… hell, we need everything.”
Maxine rolled her eyes at her sister’s childish conduct. “This is why I always like the furnished condos, I hate doing all this shopping, plus it’ll be left behind.”
“Yeah, well it’s nothing we can change now, so suck it up.” Soon they left in search of food and furniture, and Rachel was alone in the house. She was excited to be left alone, as she wanted to see if the vampire was still in the condo.
Rachel was shocked to see he was still there. He was walking around sniffing the air, and cursing and ranting at some people who were with him. One of the rogue witches was with him, and seemed to be trying to locate them, but she was apparently not strong enough to counter their magic.
As she watched the vampire, he stopped by the table where the mirror was located. He looked down, and to her surprise picked up the mirror. Now that she could see him up close, he was even more handsome than she had previously thought, and a tingle ran through her body as out of the blue she found herself yearning for a man’s touch, and particularly the touch of this vampire.
“You think you’ve gotten away from me, but I’ll find you.” His words washed over her as if he were in the room, giving her chills. She threw the mirror down and smashed it, breaking the connection.
“Shit,” she said out loud. “He knows about my mirror trick! Who the hell is this vampire, and what does he want?”
Chapter Four
Markus stormed out of the apartment, angrier now than before. He hadn’t expected them to be gone, but someone had left something behind, a mirror. He’d been around long enough to know that mirrors around witches were significant; a linked pair of mirrors could allow them to see others on the opposite end.
He took the fire stairs to the carpark. Once he was in his vehicle in the garage, he dialed his tracker friend.
“Floyd, I need you to find someone, can you meet me at my place.” His voice sounded loud in the car. He opened the cooler with his stash of emergency O positive bags and removed one, downing it in seconds.
“Yeah, I can find anyone, Markus… you sound desperate,” Floyd responded.
“Listen, we’re not talking about me…”
Floyd interrupted to talk about himself, as usual.
“Well, let’s talk about me, dude, you would not believe…”
He didn’t get a chance to finish.
“I really don’t give a shit, I need you to get your ass here.”
“Whoa, you need to calm down, have a drink or two, maybe get you some pussy.”
“Are you on your fucking way or what, I don’t want to hear what else you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, I’m on my way. You know, you’re starting to worry me.”
“You have no fucking idea, get to my place right now.” He disconnected the call. He didn’t want to waste any time. He was drawn to her scent; his thirst was full-blown now, and any reasonable thoughts he might have had had gone right out the window.
As dawn approached back in his condo, all the windows covered with metal shutters, he felt calmer. Then the thirst rose again.
“FUCK!”
His body cried out for relief, yet his mind would not allow him to relax. He needed to know why the scent of a witch was driving him more insane than he already was with this unnatural thirst.
It was a relief to be in his bedroom, where he had designed everything for both mental and physical comfort. The wallpaper with its lavish design of red and black roses, the huge king size bed dominating the room from the center of the far wall, the hardwood floors, oversized dresser and red rug, even the floor to ceiling windows, which even shuttered against the daylight, made the room seem even larger than it was, all combined to soothe him. In this room, more than anywhere else, he was home. He stripped and climbed into bed, deciding on a few hours of rest. Lately, even at night, he had felt overly tired. Soon his breathing slowed, and his heartbeat wound down to a rate that would not have sustained a human’s life. As he allowed sleep to take him, he felt his cock getting hard, but there was nothing he could do about it. His body submitted to its need for rest, and he was sleeping in a matter of seconds.
A few hours later Markus was awake and pacing the floor, waiting for Floyd to arrive. Even though he had managed to sleep, it was a restless slumber.
He was already on his fourth blood bag when he heard the knock at the door.
He snatched the door open to see Floyd on the doorstep. As always, he was startled for an instant by the sheer visual impact of Floyd- tall and ripped, with smooth, bronze skin, and those startling blue eyes in his dark face. Today, Floyd’s waist-length black waves were caught up in a messy bun, the slightly feminine style underscoring his maleness. Pretty boy should be a model, Markus thought sourly.
“What the fuck are you smiling about?” he snapped.
“Shit!” Floyd replied, walking past him. “I just had the best pussy I’ve had in a long time. A wolf, she’s amazing! I can give you her number.”
“I don’t want her number. You’ve been fucking, when I said get here a.s.a.p?” He felt his fangs emerging, triggered by the tension growing inside him. Floyd had been his friend for over a hundred years, and he had never wanted to attack him until now. Never did he think this thirst could make him want to attack his friend. Taking a few deep breaths, he retracted his fangs. Floyd was sitting at the bar, pouring himself a drink.
“Yes, I have, and if you try her, you might understand why I was late. She does amazing things with her tongue.”
“You think it’s a joke? It’s not! I’m going fucking crazy, Floyd, and if I’m asking for help then you should help me.”
Floyd’s huge grin lit his face. “Stop being such a pussy, so you have bloodlust and need to bang females. Shit, feeding and sex sounds golden to me.”
He stared at his friend and hissed faintly, wishing he could get through to him, just once make him experience what this thirst felt like. If it were only sex and blood it would be golden indeed, but the insane thoughts that plagued him were driving him crazy, and the way his body seemed to have a mind of its own was beyond annoying. Even when he slept, it had not been a good, restful sleep; his thoughts had still been racing behind the thin veil of oblivion. He was never satisfied, and he would like a moment without the rippling need - not want - for blood or sex, every minute of every damn day.
“Being a pussy? Don’t you dare call me a pussy. You have no clue what this thirst is doing to me, I want to rip out my own heart half of the time, and I wake from sleep with the most painful wood you could think of, so don’t say shit about something you can’t understand.” He growled involuntarily as he poured another drink, glaring at his good friend. Even though he had felt isolated to a certain extent ever since he became a vampire, now that he had to deal with this bloodlust he felt completely alone in the world; not a single person, human or otherwise, understoo
d what he was going through.
“All I’m saying is, you’re fucking anybody and everybody anyway, and the chick I had is real good.” Floyd raised a brow.
“Did you hear anything I said? Shit, man – those jokes of yours are going to catch up with you one day.”
“Not today, though.” Floyd raised his glass in a smirking toast.
He narrowed his eyes and took a few steps toward him. Floyd raised both brows, and with a wicked grin he sped out of reach, to the other side of the room.
“You done with the hissing and scary fucking sounds?” Floyd asked, coming back to the bar. He poured a glass of whiskey and offered it to Markus.
“I wasn’t hissing. Anyway, it’s only happening because of this bloodlust, and it’s increased since I saw the witches. One of their scents is driving me crazy, I can’t get it out of my mind.” He grabbed the proffered drink and downed it, holding out the glass for more.
“Hmm,” Floyd said, calmly. “It sounds like you may have found your blood-mate, but if I’m here, I’m guessing you lost her.”
Markus couldn’t believe his friend was so calm about his situation. He took his glass and sat on the sofa, putting distance between them in case he lost control again and acted on his anger.
A Vampire's Thirst : Markus Page 3